Today, February 22, the teachers held their second brilliant day of nationwide rallies, in recent weeks. This is the 11th nationwide teachers’ protest rally since the beginning of this school year. On this day, the teachers gathered in big rallies to express their protest and anger at the government’s looting, discrimination, inequality and repression, and to express loudly their demands. Teachers are demanding higher salaries, free education for all children and the elimination of discrimination. These gatherings were held in front of the Islamic Parliament in Tehran and in front of the education offices in other cities, at the call of the Coordination Council of Cultural Trade Unions. Retired teachers also took part in the rallies. The presence of women was prominent, and female teachers were the main speakers at many of these gatherings.
Today’s rallies have been held in the following cities: Tehran, Sanandaj, Qom, Mashhad, Tabriz, Shiraz, Isfahan,Azna, Qazvin, Takestan, Yezd, Khorramdasht, Bijar, Rasht, Karaj, Rezvanshahr, Shahrekord, Ilam, Andimeshk, Izeh, Bushehr, Behbahan, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad, Khorramabad , Gorgan, Songhor e Koliai. Shirvan, Torbat Heydariyeh, Baneh, Bukan, Saqez, Marivan, Sardasht, Kamyaran, Divandareh, Ardabil, Abhar, Miando’ab, Zanjan, Hamedan, Razan, Nahavand, Boroujerd, Arak, Shazand, Khondab, Alborz, Lahijan, Bandar Anzali, Saari, Mamassani, Kazerun, Shahreza, Fasa, Abadeh, Aligudarz, Kermanshah, Qorveh, Delfan, Kuhdasht, Meshkinshahr, and Aran Bidgol, Songhor, Babol, Chalous.
A prominent slogan of the teachers was “imprisoned teacher must be released”. Teachers also chanted “implementation of ranking is our inalienable right”, “Free education is our children’s right”. The slogans were printed on banners held by demonstrators in all cities and regions, and photos of imprisoned teachers in the hands of the demonstrators, were widely seen.
In Tehran, demonstrators addressed authorities by the slogan “with your hollow promises, our tables are empty”, and raised their voices in protest against meagre salaries. In Kermanshah, one of the teachers protested the embezzlement and theft, by saying that the country’s wealth and money is wasted by you, and you do not have a budget for the teachers?, and announced that they will stop work until their demands are met.
In Shiraz, the crowd was filled with rage and protest, and the slogan “the cultural movement is ready to rise” resounded in the gathering space and attracted attention. In Bandar Anzali, a female teacher said passionately pointing to governments’ embezzlements and said “we did not rob the National Bank, we did not rob the Cultural Reserve Fund, we did not rob the Development Fund, we do not have villas in Canada, and we have not taken the important documents of the society out of the country. Our address is straightforward”.
In Arak, teachers shouted their anger and determination with the banners “Raisi, Qalibaf this is the last warning! the cultural movement is ready to rise” (Qalibaf is the Islamic parliament’s speaker and Raisi is the regime’s president) and “The imprisoned teacher must be released”. In Saqez and Marivan too, a large crowd participated. The demonstrators also sang the protest song. In Isfahan, one of the teachers protested against poverty and insecurity, saying, “I have been taxi driver three days a week, with thirty years of work experience, and then the demonstrators chanted slogans against discrimination, and teacher’s imprisonment.
Other slogans chanted at the rallies included: “If there was justice, the teacher would not be here”, “Free education is the right of the Iranian child”, “The teacher does not accept humiliation, even if dies”, “The teacher is awake and hates discrimination”. “A teacher rises to eliminate discrimination”.
Teachers also chanted against the official tv network (Seda and Sima), because of censorship of the teachers’ demands and protests.
The presence of police forces in Karaj and some other cities was outstanding. According to reports, in Karaj, Solmaz Faizullahzadeh, a member of the board of directors of the Alborz Teachers’ Union, was arrested after the rally, and his condition is still unknown. Ali Hassan Bahamin from Yasuj, who had gone to Shiraz to participate in rallies, was also arrested on this day. But despite this, the teachers bravely and resolutely continued their rallies and insisted on continuing their protests.
On the occasion of the February 22 nationwide rally, a resolution has been issued by the Coordinating Council of Cultural Trade Unions, announcing the nationwide demands of teachers.
The resolution also protests the continued imprisonment of Ismail Abdi, who has been in prison for more than seven years and is serving a ten-year sentence. The detention of Rada Mardani in Delfan, who was arrested and beaten in the worst possible way after the rally on February 20, and the imprisonment of Hashem Khastar along with Mohammad Hossein Sepehri without any leave, was also protested everywhere. The release of these two and other imprisoned teachers, including Mohammad Taghi Fallahi, Shaban Mohammadi, Latif Rozikhah, Mohammad Reza Ramezanzadeh, Hossein Ramezanpour, Yaghoub Yazdani, Nosrat Beheshti, Zeinab, Hamrang, Masoumeh Askari and Alieh Aghdamdoost, is emphasized in this resolution.
In addition, quality and free education and an end to the commodification of education are emphasized in this resolution. Finally, the Coordinating Council of Iranian Cultural Associations has once again emphasized the strong continuation of the protests until their demands are met.
Free Them Now
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